Marc Ecko Zip headphones actually zip up

Just when we were thinking there was nothing new in the world of headphones, along comes Marc Ecko with some bonkers new designs.

Because his new range of in-ear headphones under the *ECKOUNLTD brand don't feature bog standard cords. (Well some do, but not the ones we're interested in.) Instead, there's a zip, a chain, and shoelaces in place of the cable. Altogether now: wtf?

That's right, the Zip headphones feature a functioning zip, though it's not clear how far you can do it up. Presumably not all the way to your ears; though it would stop them getting tangled when you pack them in your bag. That's the only real benefit we can see to having a zip in place of a cord, but from the promotional bumf it looks to be some kind of 'lifestyle' add-on.

The second most crackers pair in the range are called Chain, and — yes, you've guessed it — feature a beaded, dog-tag chain in place of the cord. Like the Zip, they have an inline mic for handsfree calls, volume controls, and come with a travel bag and three sizes of ear-piece gels. But both are surprisingly affordable: $39.99 (£25) for Chain, and $29.99 (£19) for Zip.

And the Lace pair? They have a shoelace-style cord, unsurprisingly, and will set you back $19.99 (£13). Also announced are the Zone, Chaos II and Stomp earbuds, which are more conventional and come in a range of colours. And Mr. Ecko has something special up his sleeve for CES 2012, according to the release.